After delivering a range of new features to its Band 2 in December, followed by a smaller update last month, Microsoft has announced details of further improvements that will begin rolling out today.
One area in which Microsoft has focused its efforts is that of the social experience for its health- and fitness-focused wearable, as the company explained today:
Because we know accountability is a great motivator for reaching that next level, we’ve made a few tweaks to the Microsoft Band’s sharing experience, making it even easier to earn your friends’ congratulations—or envy—when you share your best activity summaries on Facebook, Twitter and in email or text messages. After a calorie-blasting workout, epic bike ride or the best night’s sleep you can remember, share a snapshot of your summary. Your friends can click through to a public dashboard that includes even more of your impressive stats.
Last year, Microsoft added support for those who wear the Band while enjoying a round of golf. In its latest update, it"s added a new feature for these users:
An option right on your new Microsoft Band, Tournament Mode for Golf will allow you to play a round while sticking to United States Golf Association rules for competitive play. The band will still track your round of play and your health activity, but hide your step count, distance and heart rate during your round, then have a summary waiting for you in the Microsoft Health app and dashboard upon completion.
Additionally, you can now track your distance during guided workouts, with new functionality that is supported both outdoors (primarily through GPS) or indoors (using the pedometer on the device).
Today"s announcement also highlights a feature that"s been available for several weeks, allowing users to connect their Microsoft Health account to Cortana, enabling the digital assistant to provide an executive summary of their day-to-day progress, including steps and calorie counts.
Source: Microsoft Devices Blog